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Thursday, 4 October 2018

Hon. Peter Akpatason, representing Akoko-Edo in the House of Representatives, says loyal members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the house will carry out the party’s instruction on Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

Akpatason spoke to journalists in Benin on Wednesday, against the backdrop of the recent defection of the speaker to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said that when the house reconvened, “the needful” would be done regarding the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly.

The lawmaker however emphasised that whatever that would be done to address the issue, would be according the law of land.

According to the former NUPENG President, it is an aberration for a member of another political party to continue to be speaker of the house of the representatives.

“We, as party loyalists, will carry out any instruction we get from the party. We will study the situation when we get back. Whatever the situation is will be what we will react to.

“We cannot be happy to have a speaker that belongs to another party. It is an aberration and has to be treated as such,” he said.

Speaking on the ongoing APC primaries, Akpatason, who is seeking a return ticket to the House of Representatives, said his constituent were in support of his third term bid.

According him, the postponement of the party’s primaries for the NASS would make the aspirants to lose money.

He said that any money already given out for “logistics” would not be returned when elections were postponed.

The lawmaker also warned the APC leadership against manipulation of the party’s primaries.

Akpatason noted that direct primaries was not prone to manipulation like the indirect primaries in which delegates could be bribed.

According to him, whoever is planning to manipulate the primaries does not love the party hence the need to watch out for moles.

“Such a person wants the APC to lose in the main election. If this election is manipulated, chances of the APC winning the general elections will be slim.

“In a situation where you sit down and select people based on sentiments and not on individual popularity and ability to win elections, people will have other options,” he added.